Articles - Page 128

Browse hundreds of articles, tips, and inspiring design collections. Find helpful design advice, or the perfect resource for your next project.

5 Benefits of Managed Web Hosting

Reviews / 12 Apr 2017

5 Benefits of Managed Web Hosting

Managed website hosting can take a lot of the headache out of owning a website. Your host can handle all technical aspects of hosting, including automatic software installs and updates, website themes, and plugin troubleshooting and security.

For most website owners, there are major benefits over using a dedicated server or running a server yourself. Here’s a look at five distinct benefits of managed web hosting, and an insight into our experience at Design Shack of switching over to SiteGround!

Good Design Starts With Real Content

Business / 10 Apr 2017

Good Design Starts With Real Content

You’ve probably heard the phrase “content is king.” Cliches aside, it really is. When it comes to website design, quality content is the cog that powers usability, user flow and conversions.

You need real and authentic elements to create a connection with users to engage them. The best designs start with content that is close to the final product, and designers should be reluctant to work with anything less. But what is real content anyway? Here’s a guide to get you started.

Paperless Documentation Is Easy With Eversign

Business / 5 Apr 2017

Paperless Documentation Is Easy With Eversign

More businesses are trying to find ways to go paperless. Eversign is a great tool that can help you cut the clutter from all those paper documents.

Eversign is a free, online app that helps you create legally binding electronic signatures for work or personal projects. The platform allows users to approve, deliver and sign documents online without printing or scanning a single form. Here’s a look at how it works.

5 Rules for Designing an Effective Ad Campaign

Business / 27 Mar 2017

5 Rules for Designing an Effective Ad Campaign

Designers have to wear a lot of hats these days. You might create a website one day, a brochure the next, and an ad campaign for print or social media after that.

And while many of these projects all rely on the same theories of design and an eye for what looks good, there are some differences that can impact the success of certain projects. Designing ad campaigns can be tricky if you haven’t done a lot of it. The canvas is often small and doesn’t give you a lot of room for error. You get just one chance to hook a user with design and information. Here’s how to do it.

Design Trend: Experimental Navigation Patterns

Layouts / 22 Mar 2017

Design Trend: Experimental Navigation Patterns

Long gone is the idea that navigation menus must be fixed at the top of a website design. While many designers opt for the safe, consistency of all caps navigation across the top of the screen with sans serif typography, more designs are breaking out of this pattern.

Experimental navigation patterns can be fun and interesting if they are intuitive enough for users to understand reasonably quickly. Different navigation styles can add interest to websites that are small, don’t have a lot of content or want users to move around in a specific way.

While experimental navigation isn’t for every design, it can be a fun alternative for the right project.

Why Use Squarespace for Your Photography Site?

Reviews / 21 Mar 2017

Why Use Squarespace for Your Photography Site?

Are you ready for the world to see your stellar photos? You need a portfolio website to help showcase your skills and attract new clients.

It couldn’t be easier than with Squarespace. The website building tool has everything you need to build a portfolio site that’s just as stunning as your images in no time. Here’s how you do it.

30 Simple, Free Time-Saving Tools for Designers

Inspiration / 20 Mar 2017

30 Simple, Free Time-Saving Tools for Designers

Smart tools and apps — especially those that save time — are a must-have for designers. And we’ve collected some of the latest and greatest in this list of free tools for designers!

From typography helping elements to code snippets and color palettes you can download, this list is packed with everyday items to make your design life easier. Dive in and find some free, handy tools to simplify your workflow.

4K Video: How to Use It & Where to Find It

Graphics / 15 Mar 2017

4K Video: How to Use It & Where to Find It

Video on the web just keeps getting better. It’s an in-demand feature that everyone wants in their design for good reason. Moving images are engaging, and feel more interactive. A video clip can grab (and hold) the attention of a user quicker and for a longer time frame than just an image alone.

To celebrate a new offering from iStock, we’re looking at the newest trend in website video — 4K. This high-resolution video is a must if you are using video for a website design. Screens are so good and users are so accustomed to top quality visuals that if you aren’t thinking about 4K video, chances are that you might get left behind.

Here are a few ways to use it, and tips for finding great 4K video options to use in your projects.

20+ Examples of Creative WordPress Sites

Inspiration / 13 Mar 2017

20+ Examples of Creative WordPress Sites

Looking for inspiration to build your own beautiful WordPress website? You’ve come to the right place.

A great thing about building a project with WordPress is that there’s no shortage of themes for styling your website with any type of design. But, since there are so many themes out there, finding a design with a unique and a creative look won’t be easy.

So, to help save your valuable time, we decided to curate some of the best WordPress themes with unique and creative designs. Have a look, be inspired, and build your own creative WordPress websites using these beautiful examples!

5 Tips for a Better Freelance Resume

CV & Resume Templates / 8 Mar 2017

5 Tips for a Better Freelance Resume

When was the last time you updated your resume? This is one of those things that freelancers often forget to do when they aren’t seeking a full-time employer.

It’s a lot easier to keep up with your resume all the time rather than rush to update it when the need arises. It’s even becoming more common that clients will ask to see a resume before hiring a freelancer for work. Potential clients will probably check you out online, and your resume needs to be fresh on your website or LinkedIn profile.

Don’t put it off any longer. Try these five tips to freshen up your resume so you can get an updated version ready to go this week!

Design Trend: Innovative Hover Effects

Graphics / 6 Mar 2017

Design Trend: Innovative Hover Effects

Everywhere you look, there’s a cool new animated effect. If animation was the must-have design element of 2016, then innovated hover effects are the up and coming design trend of 2017.

Thanks in part to the popularity of Material Design and Apple’s animation guidelines with a focus on small movements, hover effects are making a comeback. But instead of the tacky, flashing, bouncing and spinning effects of the past, animations are simple, sharp and delightful. The best hover effects help the user and enhance the experience.

Hover effects can range from motion that has an impact on the entire screen to something as small as a directional cue or navigation element.

How to Customize an iPhone or iPad Mockup

iPhone Mockups / 2 Mar 2017

How to Customize an iPhone or iPad Mockup

It’s crunch time, and a client wants to see their design as it would look on an iPhone or iPad. Don’t fret; there are a number of ready-to-use mockups on the market waiting for your customization.

Customizing a mockup is an easy way to show off a design project in a realistic environment that’s sure to impress clients. Using a mockup can help others better visualize how the design will actually look with some idea of scale. (Sometimes it’s easy to forget not everyone sees and imagines a project in the same way you do.)

If you’ve never customized a mockup, it can be a little intimidating at first, but we’ll walk through the process.